RWBY: Kindred spirits
by Potteplante
Summary: A boy wanders across the desert of Vacuo. His life lost and his past destroyed. Now he seeks judgement and understanding. But as he slowly opens his eyes to face reality, he wonders if he was better off blind. Hi, this is my first fanfic ever. I just feel like doing this. Be aware that I myself am not actually from an English speaking country. I don't own RWBY or its characters.
1. OC Sheet

_**OC Sheet**_

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 **Note that this is, in fact, my first real OC, so please bear with me. BTW if you got any ideas for situations he could end up in, I guess PM me? Don't expect me to answer immediately. This is all, for now, more will come soon. But, onwards!**

 **Name:** Vermont Scale

 **Race:** Fennec fox faunus

 **Semblance:** To be revealed

 **Birthplace:** Unknown

 **Kingdom:** Vacuo

 **Hair colour:** White

 **Hair length:** Almost down to shoulders

 **Eye colour:** A deep golden

 **Face:** An okay looking guy. Not dream guy, but certainly not ugly. Small scar on his upper lip.

 **Body:** Not buff or anything, but a handsome build.

 **Casual clothes:** A tee with a simple design. Sweatpants. And the occasional hoodie.

 **Armour:** Black shirt with white metal to defend the chest. A dark green coat that he doesn't button. Lose pants in black. Green boots.

 **Weapon:** Two kamas. If you don't know what a kama is, google it. They are the size a shortsword. They can't shoot anything, but they can detach the blade. The blade and the handle are connected by a metal wire. The blades can be swung out, and the wire will extend. Then a motor can pull them back in.

 **Weapon design:** Their handle is wrapped in black fabric. The head and blade are made of a green metal. The wire is of course just black. There is an amber crystal at each side of the head. A total of four amber crystals. The bottom of the weapon is a small, green, metal knob. When sheathed they sit at his hips.


	2. Chapter 1

_**RWBY: Kindred Spirits.**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Eyes Meet For The First Time part 1.**_

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 **So here it is. The first chapter of my first fanfic. I will wait for a little to publish chapter two. In the meantime, I'll observe your response, and I will begin writing chapter 3. But with that out of the way I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Happy reading!**

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One could hear the sound of the bullheads engine, as it flew ever closer to its destination. Inside the aircraft sat a young man. He sat gazing out onto the world of Remnant. This moving to beacon was a decision that was made quickly. He had not been able to prepare fully, but he had what he needed.

Supposedly he would be needed. Something only he could do. Or so he was told. But the boy never had a chance to find out what.

As he started to see the spire of beacon academy in the distance, he could hear students gathering near the bigger window. A sound from the crowd made the boy look over. What he saw was a blonde haired boy vomiting near a girl. He ended up getting some on her shoe. Guess some people just can't handle heights. The white-haired boy, who sat at the back of the bullhead, used his refined sense of aura to pick apart the blonde. What he found was quite curious. He was afraid of heights. Though that was not the full reason he was vomiting. He was nervous. Not in the same way everyone was. No. He was nervous, almost scared, or something. What that secret was, was indecipherable to the white-haired boy.

The boy had a strong sense of aura. Trained to pick apart one's soul, and to be used as a tracking device. He could search a large area, for an aura he was familiar with. It was a neat little thing. He didn't even know, how he gained the power. He just kinda had it.

As the bullhead landed students got ready to leave. And they did so when the door opened. The boy took his time. He didn't want to walk in a crowd. That made him uncomfortable. So he waited. And when he decided the time was right, he lifted himself off of the seat and walked out of the bullhead.

Beacon academy was a peculiar piece of architecture. Not to say it wasn't beautiful, because it certainly was. It was just different. Special. Right after leaving the bullhead he looked to his left. Around 15 meters away stood a man dressed in dark green. In his hand was a mug, and to his right stood a blonde haired woman. That must be the headmaster, thought the boy. That is the man who supposedly needs me. Why?

The boy walked on ahead. He watched students separate from the crowd. One of them the girl whose shoes were vomited on. The boy didn't think much about it. He just watched. Trying his best to find out where to go. But alas. He couldn't figure it out. While he admitted defeat, a sudden loud noise came not too far away. An explosion had occurred. An explosion of dust. As the smoke went away he could see the source of the incident. A girl. Her hair black with a tint of red. She had somehow caused this. The boy didn't notice what had happened. A sudden emotion appeared. Like a spike through his chest. Fear. He froze in place and watched. He stared at her face. At her eyes. Silver. Silver like the broken moon in the night sky. The girl must have noticed. For she suddenly looked back. Quickly the boy looked away. Already regretting his decision of coming here.

As the fear in his yellow eyes calmed down, he gathered himself and looked around. All the students had gone off. Leaving only him behind. He looked back to the scene. Only to find that the girl wasn't there. Only the crater. Well. Better get a move on.

And so he did. He walked around the campus searching for an answer to the question of where he had to be. As he walked around a corner he only managed to rush back before getting noticed. Or so he thought. The girl. The black-haired one, with the red coat. With the silver eyes. She was right there. The vomit boy seemed to had joined her. The white-haired faunus calmed himself down. But right as peace returned, he heard a familiar voice. No that wasn't right. It was the black haired girl. And though he didn't know her, something felt awfully familiar about her.

"Hey, you there. With the white hair. Do you know where we are supposed to go?" The girl called from around the corner. Oh god, she saw him. Well, no reason to keep hiding. Besides he was quite curious about her.

"No." He said quietly as he emerged from around the corner.

"Sorry didn't hear ya. What did you say?" The young girl started to get closer.

"No. I don't." He said, a bit louder this time around. Seems she heard him.

"Hmm... well... wanna tag along? We might be able to find out together." That question almost shook the boy. He knew he wouldn't ever find out alone. So tagging along might not be that bad of an idea. It was worth a try at least.

"Okay." He answered her. To his surprise, she extended her arm towards him.

"Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you!" She was quite enthusiastic. Well, he couldn't just leave her hanging. So he took her hand and spoke.

"Vermont Scale." Their eyes locked. A little bit of fear did spring up in his body. She didn't notice, for it never reached his yellow orbs.

"Well hello, Vermont. By the way, this is Jaune." Vermont looked towards the guy next to Ruby.

"Hi. Yeah, I'm Jaune. Arc, Jaune Arc. The guy who... vomited..." Jaune wasn't contempt with the way his introduction worked out.

"Okay, now that's out of the way. We need to find the auditorium. You seen it Vermont?" Ruby stepped in and broke the awkwardness. Thank god she did that. Vermont thought back on his aimless wandering. Auditorium... He had seen a sign saying that!

"I think I know." He stated and started to move towards his location. The two other following soon after

The three walked in utter silence. Jaune seemed a little awkward. But that was nothing compared to Ruby. She definitely was uncomfortable. So she decided to start some small talk. And about something she was comfortable with. Weapons.

"Soooo I got this thing," Ruby said, as she suddenly unfurled an enormous scythe. The weapon hit the ground startling Jaune. Vermont almost didn't react. He just turned to face her.

"Whoa!" Jaune let out. "Is that a scythe?"

"Yep! It's also a customizable high impact velocity sniper rifle." She said proudly. Impressive. Such a weapon would take a lot of skill to master. But when it is mastered, this could be extremely lethal.

"Wha-what?" Jaune obviously didn't understand.

"It's also gun." Ruby chose to simplify instead of explain. A wise choice.

"That's cool." Something plagued Jaune as he said that. Jealousy?

"So what do you got?" She asked with almost childlike curiosity.

"Well, I got this sword." Jaune said plainly.

"Ooooooooh." He did seem to interest Ruby though.

"Yeah and I got this shield too" He added taking out the shield.

"So what do they do?" Ruby's curiosity took over as she reached out and touched the shield. The shield immediately became smaller. Jaune didn't expect that, and he had to juggle it, as to keep it from hitting the ground. After he regained control, he spoke again.

"The shield becomes smaller, so if I'm tired of holding it, I can just put it away." He said as he demonstrated. Vermont started to understand stand the previous jealousy. But there was a reason for the swords popularity. It was one if the most practical and reliable weapon types out there.

"Wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby asked seemingly a little disappointed.

"Yeah..." Jaune said defeated.

"I am a bit of a weapon dork, so I guess I did go a little overboard in designing it." Ruby said as she caressed her sweet weapon. "But what do you got Vermont?" Vermont was surprised but willing to answer.

"I wield a pair of dual kamas. Deadly, agile and precise. They don't have a gun though." While explaining he pulled them out. Then he pressed on a trigger, and the head was detached from the handle. "Instead they can be used as deadly grappling hooks. I have about four years of experience with them."

Ruby's eyes lit up.

"That is awesome Vermont. Kama weapons are pretty uncommon but super deadly. And they make you look like a complete badass. Please, can I touch them? Please, please, please?" As she asked, she took a step closer to Vermont. A step too close. She had invaded his private space. Immediate discomfort took over the boy. The fastest way out was seemingly to hand her the weapons. And so he retraced the blades, and handed it the weapons to her." She closely inspected them.

"Hmm... name?" She asked almost in a harsh way. But Vermont didn't fully understand.

"Name? What do you mean?" He asked, curious about her behaviour. She was different when the subject was weapons.

"Well, what's their name of course." She said like he was supposed to know. "C'mon, every weapon worth its salt needs a great name. You gotta know that already."

"They don't have one. I might come up with one someday." Ruby talked about the process of creating her weapon, "crimson rose" she called it. And Jaune explained how he got his as a family heirloom. Vermont didn't listen in too much. He focused on finding a path to the auditorium. In time he was successful, and the three of them walked inside.

The room was filled to the brim with students. Their loud talking, and generally their presence, annoyed Vermont. He had never been good with noise. What others seemingly didn't care about could cause immense pain to the boy. He started blinking at a faster pace while squinting his eyes a little. It wasn't something that people really noticed. One would only spot it if they knew what to look for. He was used to it. But it still annoyed him. Therefore he chose to separate from the group, he wanted to get somewhere where the noise would be more tolerable. But before he could say anything, a blonde haired girl called the young Ruby over. Vermont couldn't fully make out what she said. But Ruby caught all of it.

"Hey umm... I gotta go. See you around I guess." Ruby gave them a smile and walked, almost ran, off. Jaune reached out to her, seemingly trying to stop her. He was too slow, and his body slumped over with defeat.

"Argh... where am I going to find another cute and quirky girl to talk to... Well, at least I still got you." Jaune turned to Vermont with a hint of optimism. Vermont wasn't being rude intentionally, he just didn't pay much attention to his surroundings at the moment. He hated how she reminded him of... her. Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted by a voice over the microphone. The voice that he heard was that of the headmaster of Beacon. That of professor Ozpin. He stood on the stage of the auditorium and spoke to his new students.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." The hall had gotten almost silent. Expect for the man on stage that is. But now, after this statement that some took as an insult, the students started whispering among themselves. But Ozpin continued with a strong voice.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." The tone of the whispers changed. Vermont couldn't pick up exactly how though. The blonde haired woman stepped up to the podium. Ozpin had retreated to the back of the stage by now.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." The woman delivered the message in a very professional tone. Almost a sharp tone.

As students started to leave the auditorium, Jaune looked towards Vermont. His eyes were awkwardly desperate. But he had good intentions.

"Sooo... wanna stick together for a while?" Jaune managed to ask.

"I guess..." Vermont wasn't really that into the idea. But saying no would come off as rude. Besides, Jaune could use his company.


	3. Chapter 2

_**RWBY: Kindred Spirits.**_

 _ **Chapter 2. Eyes Meet For The First Time part 2.**_

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 **Hey guys. Just letting you know, there will be minor changes to the chronological order of different scenes. I don't know if anything super major will be different. But don't worry. Just like the other main characters in RWBY, Vermont will also have a (hopefully) interesting character arc. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Btw the future chapters will have more time between them. But I am already far into chapter 3. Now, onwards!**

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The evening went by fast. It was primarily composed of Vermont and Jaune getting shown around the school together with some other students. Peace fell upon the halls as the teens gathered in the ballroom. This was where they would sleep. Some boys were busy showing off their muscles to the girls. None of them really cared. Vermont was already in his sleeping bag. He had placed himself a little away from Jaune. His reasoning was that he enjoyed the space. But maybe also saved himself from a bit of embarrassment. He looked around the ballroom. He spotted the black haired Ruby Rose in the distance. He also noticed that the older blonde, whose shoes had been vomited on earlier, was seemingly comforting her. He looked to his left and saw a small balcony. It overlooked the entrance that they had arrived at. Before Vermont was able to observe the rest of the room in more detail, a sudden movement caught his eye. Ruby had been pulled out of her sleeping bag by the blonde and pushed towards a black haired girl. She wore a bow. Vermont was quite curious about it. Why didn't she take it off? They were going to sleep. Oh well. Not his problem.

Ruby was failing miserably at talking to her. But then. For just a moment. Ruby said something genuinely wise. She had a talent at talking. A weird and different one. But a great talent nonetheless. But the short moment stopped relatively fast. And after it passed, the blonde began to talk to her once again. Something about being awkward. Then she said one thing that Vermont definitely heard.

"See now you have a friend count of three." The blonde had an optimistic tone in her voice. Vermont also caught Ruby's response.

"Yang, Blake is roughly an acquaintance. Plus Vermont almost didn't speak to me. In fact, he seemed a little scared of me." Ruby said putting her hands to her hips.

"Oh c'mon sis. I think he's just a little shy. In fact, let's go ask him." The blonde, who apparently was Ruby's sister Yang, was being uplifting but still sympathetic.

"Yang no. He'll just be annoyed!" Ruby was not in on the idea. Yang looked towards Vermont. And when she found him looking back at her, she waved a hand and offered a smile. Vermont slightly smiled back in response. Only seemed logical. He looked down at his scroll once again. As he was focusing on his scroll now, he didn't notice Yang pulling Ruby over to him.

"Hey, Vermont. I'm Yang. My little sister told me about you. But there's one thing she wants to ask." Yang introduced herself to the boy.

"Hi." Vermont didn't say much. She already knew his name.

"Well, sis, why don't you ask him?" Yang gave Ruby a rough pat on the back, sending her stumbling closer to the fennec fox faunus.

"Uhh umm... Yeah. Hey Vermont. Ruby here hehe." She started tapping her fingertips together. "So uh, you know, you and Jaune and I, we walked together. So... would you perhaps consider me... a umm, a friend?" Ruby closed her eyes. A friend huh? Vermont hadn't had a friend in a long time. He knew that those silver eyes certainly were an... obstacle. But maybe. She had been pretty nice to him. And maybe he could get to know more about her eyes if they became friends. Yeah. He had made up his mind.

"I think I would. You are pretty fun to talk to. Don't worry if I seem distant. I'm just not used to all these people. And I kinda had to find the way to the auditorium. But yeah. I can consider you a friend." Vermont answered.

"Wha- I mean great. Thanks. That means a lot to me. But umm... I guess I'll see you tomorrow." As the sisters were walking away, Vermont could hear the proud pride in Yang's voice.

"Told ya. By the way. Good job sis." Yang clearly loved her sister greatly.

"Thanks... I guess you were right. Maybe I was too hard on myself." Ruby's mood had clearly changed. Her melancholy tone was no more. Warm happiness flooded her mind. Vermont had made the right choice.

Night closed in, and rest fell upon the room. Vermont had found a comfortable position and had gone off to sleep. He happened to have a dream that night. This was relatively rare for the long-eared faunus. He dreamt of a time long gone, and of a life long passed. A life in peace.

He looked around the room. The sun broke through the blinders of the wooden house. He sat up in his bed. His faunus ears twitched, as he caught a sound from outside. It was his sister. Well, not sister by blood. The faunus had been left by his true parents when he was born. He never thought much about it though. He now lived in Vacuo, a place where faunus were generally accepted and respected. Therefore his background didn't matter much. The boy had gotten up and was proceeding to put on some clothes. He then opened the old white door and left the room. As he stood near the chairs he could smell his mothers cooking.

"Are you coming down to grab your breakfast Vermont?" She called from the kitchen. She had made him bacon and eggs. The smell was very delicious, so he went down to his mother.

"Good morning mom." The fennec fox greeted.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Sounded the answer. The kind mother gave him his breakfast and a kiss on his forehead. "Now go eat. Wouldn't want your food to get cold now, would we?" She gave him a warm smile, and then she sent him off with a pad on the back.

"Thanks for the bacon and eggs, mom." He thanked and went into the living room. Sounds could be heard coming from the television. His dad was watching the news or something again. The young boy sat down on the couch next to his dad. The eggs tasted good. The bacon was crisp. His mother really could cook. The food, that she made, always had the perfect aroma.

"Ey foxy." That's what his dad called him. "Ya got an idea what you wanna be when you grow older?" His dad clearly wanted some form of an answer, but Vermont didn't really have one.

"Just something I guess. I just want to be... something. I don't know what yet, but I want to make things fair." A weird answer for a kid, but Vermont was a weird kid.

"Fairness aye? That's a hard thing to do. What even is fairness? Is it balance? Is it respect? Does it even exist? I hope someday you can solve that mystery. If anyone can, it's got to be you." The moment was defining for a lot of things. His dad was a wise man, that much he knew. But he couldn't help but be impressed. He had to answer some day. But for now, he was done eating.

"Dad, can I go and play with sis?" Vermont asked.

"Yeah, have fun kiddo." His dad didn't take his eyes off the screen. This made Vermont, who was now about to leave, give some attention to the news.

"The hunting academy beacon opens new row of auditions. Will you become the next big hero, and bring justice to the grimm. Now is as good a time as ever, because the grimm are growing more aggressive from day to day. Show us what you got. All information can be found at..." Vermont fazed out for a second. The next big hero? Justice to the grimm? That sounded awesome. He wasn't the best fighter, but he knew a little. It was at least a dream worth chasing. The bright sun took his attention back to reality. He walked outside and looked back at the green-painted house. He then went around and saw his sister. She was playing some kind of game. Her black hair swayed as she jumped on one leg.

"O hey, Vermont. Wanna play a game?" She tilted her head a bit and stared at him. Started at him with those silver eyes. Time froze. The warm summer breeze became a cold storm. She didn't notice. She just smiled. Smiled with those quicksilver eyes. Then the first one was heard. The first roar of a hungry pack of beowolfs. His blood froze, as the terrorizing shriek sounded across the valley. He looked back towards what was once the elegant trees. They stood naked. Their branches covered in snow. In front of it stood three tall grimm. They growled angrily. Their eyes red with hatred. The warm cottage had already been destroyed. Turned to burning ruins in mere seconds. Then a light. A light grey light emanating from behind him. He turned around, just to face his sister surrounded by grimm. She was crying. But her silver eyes lit up everything. Vermont's heart became rapid. No no no no... not again

"Not again!" His terrified scream was never heard. He was blinded by a bolt of light.

Quickly he shot out of the sleeping bag. His breath was heavy and his pulse high.

"Amy..." Was the only word that left his lips. He took a moment to recollect himself. He had been an awakened by a nightmare. One of a time long ago. Of a life long passed. A life of chaos. The ballroom was filled with the sound of students breathing. Vermont gazed across the room. He spotted ruby further off.

"Why are you too so similar?" The faunus whispered to himself. A breeze could be heard passing through the balcony door. Apparently, it was open. It called for him. It begged him to feel the cool wind on his skin. The calling could not be refused, so he stood up and walked towards it.

The air whistled across beacon that night. The wind gaining access to all pathways of the academy. He bathed in the relaxation of the night sky. But he was not the only one enjoying the peace and quiet. A girl stood just to the right of the exit. Vermont had not noticed her when he stepped out onto the balcony. Her voice was soft like silk, yet sharp like a razor blade.

"Why are you awake?" Spoke the black haired girl. She took a step forward, and Vermont looked back to face her. She wore a bow. It fit her hair perfectly, though something was odd about it.

"A nightmare. I woke up, and needed fresh air." He answered. She searched his face seeking signs of lying. But he spoke the truth.

"Why are you here?" She asked him. Vermont was quite honestly confused by her question. Didn't he just answer her?

"As I said, I needed fresh air," Vermont said, fully knowing that that was not the answer she sought.

"No. Why are you here, at beacon? You of all people." Blake clarified. Her choice of words intrigued the faunus boy. You of all people...

"Excuse me, do I know you?" He questioned her.

"No, you don't. But your family has quite a reputation." She said. Vermont was taken completely aback by this. She knew his family. The people who abandoned him at birth.

"Wait, what do you know about my family?" He said with a harsher tone. The girl seemed surprised.

"Let's just say, I haven't heard any good things about them." The girl said, as she clearly kept her response vague. She was waiting to see how much he actually knew.

"What? You have to understand, that I was adopted at birth. I... never met them. Or heard anything about them." Vermont's tone was more sombre now.

"Oh. I'm sorry. But I can't tell you. If I did I would have to share a lot of... personal secrets. And truly, I don't know if I can trust you." The shy girl said in a sincere voice. Vermont understood. He was not happy with her response, but he had to accept it. He realized that he would have to gain her trust somehow. But the girl was timid and withholding. It would not be easy to get close to her.

"I'll go to bed now. You should hit the hay soon too. From what Glynda said, I bet that tomorrow won't be an easy day." Her black hair waved as she turned to leave the balcony.

"Wait." Vermont stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "You never told me your name. I'm Vermont Scale. But I guess you already knew the last part." Her amber eyes gave him an intimidating look. Or rather a doubtful one.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna." She then turned her head and left. Vermont looked back up at the stars once more. Blake, huh. Mysterious...


	4. Chapter 3

_**RWBY: Kindred spirits.**_

 _ **Chapter 3: Preparations.**_

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 **Hello there. I'm back with another chapter. I will now, once again, remind you, that this is indeed my first fanfiction. Therefore I would like you to bear with me if my writing seems inconsistent. Other than that I'm just really thankful. When I came up with this the idea to write this, I honestly expected like 4 views average. So I'm just really happy for the attention this has gotten. Now enough of me. You came here for the story. And so, onwards!**

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After waking up and getting ready for the day, Vermont found himself enjoying breakfast with Ruby, Jaune and Yang. Where Ruby was very awkward and clumsy, Yang was confident and outgoing. She had immediately begun throwing around puns and jokes. Even though he didn't want to, Vermont caught himself snickering once or twice. Yang had thrown all she had at them, and it seemed like Ruby was very familiar with them.

"You really are milking this with all you got, aren't you Yang?" Vermont realised that the joke was simply terrible, but he had to. He had heard it calling from deep inside his soul. After hearing the pun, Yang stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wow... You got a sense of humour... Well, at least you're trying. Keep at it, and someday you might just be a pun master like myself." After that, the conversation was over, and the silence grew at the table in the dining hall.

"Well, Jaune, Vermont, why do you guys want to become hunters?" Ruby asked curiously. The two boys looked at each other, they were trying to decide who was going to answer first. Vermont gave a little nod. Smoothly he had communicated to Jaune to begin speaking.

"It's really not that complicated. I just want to be cool and strong. And I want to follow in the footsteps of my father, and grandfather, and so on. What about you Vermont? Why do you want to become a hunter?" Now all three were staring at Vermont. Something told him that he shouldn't tell the full truth. He did trust them, but he just... couldn't. So he settled for a half-truth.

"When I was younger, about the age of ten, my home in Vacuo was attacked by grimm. They tore apart my home and killed my family." Vermont's white fox ears had visibly fallen down. He wasn't able to look them in the eyes as he told this story. Especially not Ruby.

"I lived in a cottage, far away from the nearest city. For some reason, the people living there didn't like mom and dad. So, of course, they didn't like me either. I couldn't go there. So I gathered everything that I thought might have been of use and left the small field that I knew so well. And then I went into the desert. My intention was to find Vale. And then find Beacon. The grimm deserved judgement. But I passed out midway. I awoke with a man who helped me get better. Then he sent me to a basic combat school. At first, I sucked at it. I knew I had to serve judgement, and so I trained at every point where I had the chance. I forged my trusty weapons and came to master them. I soon ended up here. Not the way I thought my life was headed, but hey, I'd say its fine.'' Vermont ended his monologue with a little shrug. Jaune just kind of nodded, Yang said it was pretty cool, but Ruby seemed curious.

"I have a couple of questions if you don't mind." She spoke. Vermont didn't see a real problem with it and saying no would seem weird and mean.

"No problem. Go on." He said giving her a little smile.

"Okay. Number one, did the people in the village not like your parents because they were faunus?" Ruby asked as Yang and Jaune just observed the conversation.

"Oh sorry, no. I was adopted at a young age. So I was the only faunus there. Really I have no clue why." Vermont would sometimes forget to tell that.

"Oh, okay then. Well, question number two, who was the man that helped you?" Ruby asked.

"His name is Qrow. I don't know his last name. Just nev-" Vermont was caught off guard by Ruby and Yang reaction.

"Qrow! As in black-haired, white-coated alcoholic!" The two sisters said in perfect synchronization. Jaune was just as surprised as Vermont.

"Umm... yeah. You guys know him?" Vermont asked the pair.

"Hell yeah, we know him! He's our uncle! But he never told us about you..." Yang answered him. Huh. Their uncle ay. The world's a small place.

"Weird. Guess he didn't find the need to. Come to think of it, he never said much about himself." Vermont looked back at his conversations with Qrow, but he never found a mention of two nephews of one his own age, the other a little younger.

"Umm guys. I think now would be a good time to get to our lockers." Jaune stopped their aimless pondering.

"Yeah, let's go guys!" Ruby said as she stood up from her seat.

The room was filled with students finding their lockers and getting their weapons. Jaune couldn't find his, and Ruby and Yang had gotten lucky. Their lockers were pretty close and near the centre of the room. Vermont's luck was not as great. His locker was in a corner away from the others. Oh well. Can't do anything about it. As Vermont took out his dual Kamas, he was reminded of why he was here. He was told he would be needed. Needed in what way exactly he didn't know yet. Hmm. Maybe the headmaster would tell him later. For now, he was fine with just being there. Vermont looked out into the room. He saw a guy with black hair with a little pink stripe standing at a locker. Behind him was a hyperactive girl with orange or red hair. She was talking at him at a high speed. It didn't even seem like words to the white-eared faunus. But the guy in green was able to keep up and stay calm. They were polar opposites but they definitely knew each other. Vermont's gaze fell on Ruby and Yang. They were discussing something. Ruby stood with her arms crossed. Vermont also spotted Jaune, who was currently trying to woo to girls. Vermont didn't want to be part of Jaune's awkward interaction, and so he approached the two sisters.

"What the?! I don't need to break out of my shell, that's absolutely ridiculous!" Ruby had suddenly gotten very... passionate about something. Vermont slowed his approach, in order to get a better understanding of the situation.

"Rube I'm sorry, but we don't know how the teams are made. I just don't want you to end up on a team that you can't get along with. I hope you understand." Yang was a very caring person. Always looking out for her sister.

"I can get along with people. As long as they are snoppy dust girls... C'mon Yang I'm already friends with Vermont and Jaune. And if we count you, then that's a whole team!" Ruby looked over at Vermont's direction and saw him walking up to them.

"Back when I went to combat school, I wasn't exactly popular. let's just say that long ears aren't all that welcome. My team was okay I guess. Except for one of them. He tried to just ignore my existence. But then a lot of people weren't like that. I got beat up. Verbally assaulted. Hurt." Vermont looked at the ground. The same ears that had caused this pain twitched in suppressed rage. "If it wasn't for the two people on my team that cared about me, I wouldn't have... made it. Ruby. I don't want anyone else to feel the pain of hatred. But sometimes it can't be avoided. And it is at times like those that we have to cling to our strongest asset. The people close to us. Yang is right. Meeting new people and building bridges could be very good for you. Not that it's easy to do that." Suddenly a voice could be heard over the speakers.

"Attention all first-year student. Gather at Beacon Cliff for initiation." Ruby looked down to the ground. Her posture was awkward. Yang put her hand on Vermont's shoulder.

"Thanks, dude. And remember, if you ever need anyone, me and Rubes have your back." She gave him a cocky smile, and then she turned towards her sister. "But for now, you and Vermont should go help the heroic blonde, who just got thrown into a wall." Yang then turned around and went towards some of her other friends. Ruby looked back up and stared deep into the fennec faunus's golden eyes.

"Hey, Vermont. How come you're comfortable sharing all of this personal stuff. We only just met yesterday." Ruby seemed confused. And when Vermont thought about it, he realized that he wasn't sure himself. He hadn't even tried to look into their feelings through their aura. He definetly could have done that by now. But he didn't want to. Sometimes he felt bad doing it. Searching a persons very soul without them knowing. It just felt morally wrong.

"I don't know really. I just felt an immediate connection between us. Take it as a compliment." Vermont's sloppy response was somehow enough for the younger girl.

"Okay. let's go scrape blondy off the floor." Ruby smiled warmly and turned to walk towards Jaune. Her walk was more energetic and open now. After a moment of recollection, Vermont followed along.

The sky was blue and the wind was fresh. The grass waved in the wind, as the students stood prepared for initiation. Every student stood on a metal platform, the emblem of Beacon engraved upon it. Vermont had been placed at the very end of the line. In front of them stood the proud headmaster of the academy, and next to him was his most trusted of professors.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin explained.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of "teams." Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today." After Glynda stopped talking, Vermont could hear the murmur of students to his left.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Said Ozpin. He was right. Did Vermont end up on the wrong team, then he would have a really hard time. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Vermont was clearly taken aback by this. His ears rose in shock.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Ozpin elaborated. Vermont a nervous laughter followed by a gulp coming from his left. Of course, that was where Jaune stood.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Now that Ozpin had set up a goal, Vermont was determined to bring back the best relic he could find. Jaune, on the other hand, was still pretty nervous, and so he raised his hands to ask a question. But Ozpin definitely didn't care.

"Good! Now, take your positions." Ozpin could clearly see Jaune, but he didn't want the other students to have to wait. Everyone except Jaune had entered their position. Vermont slightly bent his knees and spread his legs. Then he leaned forward and put his hands on his weapons.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question." Jaune failed to notice his turn to get launched approach. "So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha... what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?" Jaune asked Ozpin. Vermont was pumped an ready to launch.

"No. You will be falling." Ozpin said to the surprise of nobody except Jaune.

"Oh, uh, I see... So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jane hadn't noticed the launch creeping closer. Vermont began to doubt the other huntsman-in-training. But he didn't care. The adrenaline was kicking in.

"No. You will be using your own "landing strategy." Ozpin answered, much to the discomfort of the blonde. Now the imminent trip to the sky was so close.

"Uh-huh... Yeah." Vermont almost wanted to inform him of his turn. But then...

"So, what exactly is a landing strategYYY!..." Jaune tumbled across the sky. Now was the time. Vermont was ready. Any time now... Closer... Just a second... Aaaaand... Nothing... Absolutely nothing happened. Ozpin and Glynda had turned their backs to him. The slow sound of Ozpin sipping his coffee could be heard in the silence. Then it stopped. Ozpin didn't even turn around before he spoke.

"Now, listen Mr Scale..."


	5. Chapter 4

_**RWBY: Kindred spirits.**_

 _ **Chapter 4: Uneven numbers.**_

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 **Hello there, I'm a little behind schedule. I've had a lot to do this past week, and it has caused me a lot of stress. I'm a little behind when it comes to writing the next chapter. But don't worry. Now, onwards!**

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"Now, listen Mr Scale." Ozpin turned to face him. "As you know, you are here for a reason. Or rather a number of reasons I'm sure. But first. You do know how teams work right?" Vermont was confused. Why had he not been launched? He knew that the only way to find out was by answering the old headmaster.

"Umm, yeah. Teams. You are assigned a team at the beginning of your first year." Vermont answered. Ozpin's eyes shined with the power of wisdom.

"How many students does one team consist of?" Ozpin asked. He looked Vermont deep into the eyes.

"Four, sir." Vermont answered.

"Indeed. Four students form a team. Now, do you know why you were called into Beacon a year earlier?" Ozpin asked the young faunus. The connection between teams and Vermont's early arrival was not detected by Vermont.

"No, I don't sir. Qrow never told me." He answered once again. The confusion had only grown stronger.

"Well, to put it simply, you are needed. For what, you properly ask. And I cannot give an answer. The matter of fact is, that you are needed now. A year earlier than calculated. That is why we called you in late." Ozpin turned his back to Vermont again. Once again staring into the horizon. "I know that you're not satisfied with this answer. But just know, you're doing a great job." Vermont wasn't even that mad. Just confused. Why reach out to someone and not tell them why? But for now, he just wanted to go down to the others. And get a team!

"Mr Scale, your late arrival has caused a slight problem. Normally we make sure that the number of students can be divided into four. But now that you're here, we have our little problem. If we divide our students into teams of four, someone will be left alone. And since you're the late arrival. That task falls upon you. Do you accept?" Ozpin still hadn't turned to face him. Vermont understood the fact that he had to be alone. He had been called out of his old combat school about a year early. But he was also called to Beacon a week before the first day. Therefore he was a year earlier by age and a late addition to the school.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I sir?" Vermont already knew his answer.

"Of course not. Well, you could just leave but I doubt that you would want that. And in addition, Qrow would be.. less than happy." Ozpin answered. Then he turned around to face Vermont. Ozpin put a hand on the young faunus's shoulder.

"You're very smart. And skilled. You will manage on your own. Not that you won't get any help." Ozpin removed his hand and pulled out a scroll. The screen was showing all of the students and where they were.

"We will monitor their actions. When they all have partnered up you will be launched into the forest. Not too far away from the ruins. When you get to the point of picking a relic, you shall choose the pawn." And so they waited. They observed the students finding partners and fighting grimm. Already one interesting team had been created. Ruby and Weiss. Wasn't that the girl who had gotten mad at Ruby.

After having waited for a while Vermont was ready. He stood upon the launch pad and all that was needed to launch him was the push of a button. Goodwitch was responsible for pressing that.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Of course." Vermont said.

"Now remember Mr Scale. The pawn." Ozpin reminded him, just before Vermont was launched into the air.

"Is he really ready? Ready, for what lies ahead?" Goodwitch asked the headmaster.

"Maybe not. Be soon he will have to be." Ozpin had always been a realist. Vermont was simply enjoying himself. The wind blew through his white hair. His ears picking up the sound of pure, airborne speed, and his coat flapping around behind him, like a cape attached to his arms. This was awesome he enjoyed every moment of it. But what goes up, must come down. And so he readied his landing technique. He knew how to use his weapons the limit of their abilities. Vermont pulled out the two kama blades. The shined like emeralds. Then he aimed at of the tree branches. When he was ready, he swung the kamas and detached the blade. The wire flew through the sky and hit its mark. The green blades penetrated the thick wood and allowed Vermont to make his landing. He used the wire as a rope and swung himself forward. A little down he activated the motors. The wire pulled him to his blades and using the power of his swing he was able to swing in front of the branch, while also reattaching the blade to the hilt. Then he made a midair flip and landed on the branch.

"Hell yeah!" He exclaimed. Next step in the plan was to find that pawn. So Vermont jumped down from the branch and landed in the forest bed. The trees around him were very big. This told Vermont that, he was deeper inside the forest, then he first thought. He then did the only thing he could. Pick a direction and go. After all, that was how he met Qrow. And also how he fell unconscious. He hoped that wouldn't happen again. As he wandered through the lush forest, he couldn't help but think about what professor Ozpin had said. Mostly the part about why Vermont was there. Of course, he wasn't told why. But Ozpin said he was doing good. Doing good? At what? He hadn't really been doing anything too unusual. And another thing that bugged Vermont during his search for the temple, was the mysterious girl Blake. She knew something about him, that he didn't know. Something about his true family. He didn't really know why he wanted to know them. His last family had been great. And he wasn't going to live with them, or even have time to visit them. It just seemed like he had to. Whether it was hope for support, or need for answers, that drove him, he didn't know. But whatever it was. The first step to finding them was through Blake. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted. A little rustling was heard to his left. Then a grunt to his right. His fox ears raised in the direction of the sounds. And then he heard it. The low growling of a beast that has found its prey. Vermont turned around. In front of him stood a huge beowolf. It wasn't that it was an alpha. Just big. Or maybe the perspective fooled the young fox. But Vermont knew how to handle it. First, disengage. If you're caught off guard disengage. This gives you a better overview of your enemies. Vermont jumped back, much to the disliking of the monster. It roared. Like a moth to a flame, to more grimm approached him. A boarbatusk to his right, and a smaller beowolf to his left. Next step, initial attack. Are you going to hit first, or will it be your enemy? Vermont chose the latter. And as he had predicted, the small beowolf lunged towards him. But Vermont was swift. He dodged the attack with a well-timed backstep. The monster was now in an easily punishable position. The faunus unsheathed the dual weapons and landed a quick swipe across the beasts back. The attack wasn't intended to be fatal. And so the beast survived. Suddenly Vermont heard the sound of grunting. It was the boarbatusk. If he didn't act fast, he'd be hit by the rapidly spinning ball of a creature. And then a thought hit him. Why not make the charging enemy hit its friend? Oh hell yeah. Vermont plunged the blades into the shoulders of the less than huge beowolf, he then jumped off of the beasts back, pulling it backwards as he dodged the attack. This resulted in the boarbatusk smashing the beowolf into a tree. The boar-like creature got back on its feet. But the wolf was not so lucky. Vermont knew that he couldn't fight the huge beowolf with the boarbatusk still alive. He would have to go on the offensive. Vermont dashed towards to boar. He readied an attack with his right-hand weapon. The creature had recovered from hitting the tree, so Vermont knew, that it would be ready. He did a horizontal slice witch forced the boar to dodge backwards. A little smile appeared on Vermont's lip, as he knew that he had outsmarted his enemy. The faunus used the rotational force to step forward and strike again immediately after the first attack. The hit landed and a giant gash followed the blade across the monsters face. Vermont watched, as the life slowly drained from the creatures hatred-filled eyes. Now, the big guy. For a moment there was silence. Who was the hunter, and who was the prey? The answer would soon be clear. The monster roared, breaking the silence and charging forward. It tried hitting Vermont with a diagonal slash of its sharp claws. Vermont was too agile and dodged the beasts attack easily. From his new position, he performed a diagonal attack with both of his blades. But the wolf blocked the onslaught. Vermont was not done yet though, for he slashed at the beast once more. But the creature was able to move out of the way. The wolf, now having the upper hand, went in to finish the job. But it had underestimated what it was up against. The true hunter jumped back from the beasts jumping attack. Then Vermont attacked the beowolfs face with all of his strength. He pierced the mask and plunged the blades into the monsters head.

"You never even stood a chance." He taunted. They made eye contact for a second. And the huge monster slowly growled. Vermont then detached the blades, leaving them stuck in the creature. He jumped backwards, and now there were two long wires connecting him to the huge beowolf before him. He raised the handles, pulling the creatures face upwards to look at the sky. Then the ruthless faunus lowered them with all his might, sending a wave forwards through the wires. The waves connected with the creature and smashed its head into the ground. A huge crack formed upon the skull of the wolf. And seconds later its body was reduced to dust. After retracting the blades and sheathing his weapons, Vermont stood still for a moment. The leaves rustled in the wind, but other than that there was silence.

"Ahh, peace. Now to find that temple." The talented boy said to himself.


	6. Chapter 5

**RWBY Kindred Spirits.**

 **Chapter :5: What aura can show you.**

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 _ **Hello there! I am still a bit behind. I have had a lot to do lately, but yesterday I came up with an awesome villain to mirror Vermont. I have completed an OC Sheet for him, and I might publish it once he's been properly introduced, and that will take a while to happen. I've also been thinking a lot about Vermonts planned development. I hope you're enjoying my weird writing! If you are, or if you aren't, please leave a review! But for now, I say onwards!**_

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As Vermont ran through the woods, he noticed a pillar of smoke coming from a clearing nearby. He thought that maybe he could find out what it was if he went and searched for it. And so he did. The walk through the woods might have seemed boring to some, but Vermont found peace in it. He felt at rest in the nature of remnant. His fennec ears twitched at the sounds of the bird's beautiful voice. The young faunus could feel his aura recharge. Or improve? Whatever it was it felt calming. As Vermont came near the clearing, something caught his attention. Not something physical, rather something in the air. That was at least the best way to describe it. It was the feeling of a familiar soul. He could not pinpoint whom the tracks of aura belonged to. But he felt compelled to follow them. Wisps of grey were sprinkled through the woods, showing him the path to follow. He also felt another presence. Whoever left the track was not alone. Soon the trees made way to an open area. The grass of the clearing was dark and burnt. He could smell the few embers that still burned. Suddenly something pulled him out of reality. What he saw became distorted until it was no longer his own vision. He started seeing a fight against a horde of beowolfs. He flew through the air at high speeds, cutting apart the beasts with his scythe. As the beasts fell one by one, he started feeling excited. But also he somehow felt like he was proving himself to someone. He then attacked another beowolf and a white silhouette got mad at him. Then he saw the clearing set a flame. Vermont then caught his breath and returned to reality.

"Ruby..." He said to himself. Indeed that was Ruby. When Vermont knew someone well enough, or if anything that affected the aura greatly happened, Vermont could enter a flashback through the eyes of whoever caused it. It wasn't a normal flashback though. Everyone who appeared in it wouldn't really appear. Only their aura would. But if Vermont experienced one of these, he gained the ability to track whomever the flashback belonged to. The process of unlocking this without disturbing the aura would normally take a long time. He was only able to do this with very few people. But the event he had just witnessed wasn't that impactful on the aural plane. Was he really that close to Ruby already? Or was there perhaps another reason? He decided that the only way he could know was to find Ruby. And so, he focused on his peace of mind and sense of aura. Suddenly he knew exactly where Ruby was.

Earlier that day Yang had found the one, who would be her partner for the next four years. That person was a mysterious, but strong girl, who went by the name of Blake. At first, they didn't talk much. They just walked through the woods of Emerald Forest. Blake didn't mind the lack of conversation, but Yang wanted to know Blake better. After all, they would be partners for the next four years. Yang was known to talk like a waterfall from time to time. Talking to Blake was no exception. She talked about her fighting style, her weapon of choice, the fight she had against some ursas when they met and much more. Now Yang realized that she would still get two more teammates. That seemed like a nice topic of conversation to the girl.

"Hey, Blake. Is there anyone you'd like to have on our team." Yang asked her. This caught Blake a little off guard. The last couple of minutes Blake could answer every question with "yes" or "no", so when she was asked this, she was not prepared. She hadn't really thought about it much. Anyone she would like to team up with... No one came to mind.

"Umm, no, Yang. There isn't." Blake said. Yang was a little surprised, but maybe it was obvious. Blake wasn't much of a socializer. "But don't you know some people? Like your sister. What was it? Ruby? And you went and talked to someone else after me."

"I don't know if I want to have Ruby on my team. Not because I don't like her, or she isn't good at fighting, because she kicks ass. No. Because I think it would do her good. To be forced to step out of her comfort zone you know. I'm just worried. After all, she is a year younger than everybody else." Yang couldn't help but pour her worries onto Blake.

"Not true." Blake stated. "Ruby is not the only one."

"Wait, what!? Someone else is also a year too early?" Yang really did not expect this.

"Yes. Vermont too. You know, the fennec fox faunus." Blake said nonchalantly.

"Him? I thought he was our age. But how do you even know that? I'd definetly say he looks our age." Yang said, wondering why it was that her mysterious partner knew of this.

"Yes, him. How do I know this? I did a background check." Blake said, realizing that she properly shouldn't have shared that. It did seem weird for her to know this about Vermont.

"Okayyy... Why? It's not super normal to "background check" a fellow student." Said Yang.

"I have my reasons. I might tell you someday. Only if you stop asking, that is." Now Yang was sure that she had hit a sore spot. But not wanting to risk her potential friendship, not to mention partnership, with the bow wearing girl, she didn't tease her about it. Despite all of Yang's natural instincts.

"Actually, if you don't mind me asking, how does he seem to you?" Blake asked, knowing that Yang had interacted with him, in a more friendly environment then herself.

"Umm... I'll tell you, but you are really making it hard not to tease you. He seems okay I guess. He and Ruby are friends. So if she likes him, he's properly pretty cool." Honestly, Yang wasn't who Blake should be asking.

"Okay..." Blake started wondering about something. Yang then started talking again. This time about stories from her childhood. Yang had always wanted to be a huntress. Not like Blake. Blake had only made that decision a few years back. The two partners then went onwards towards the temple.

"What was that?! That should have been easy!" Vermont had found whom he was looking for. But Ruby was mad at someone. Her partner?

"Well perhaps, if you had exercised the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have lit the forest on fire!" Was that... Weiss, he could hear. Ruby and Weiss... That sure was an interesting partnership. They were already having an argument.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Weiss's comment had really annoyed Ruby.

"I'm just surprised that someone who talks so much, would communicate so little during an encounter!" Now Vermont could see the girls atop the small hill in the forest.

"Well, I'm sorry that you need my help to win a fight! I'm just fine on my own!" Vermont was now so close, that the only reason they didn't notice him, was because of their intense argument.

"Congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon!" Vermont could tell that this really got to Ruby. She must be scared, he thought, scared that everyone will see her as an outcast. Just some child.

"Hey now, she's not the strongest one." Vermont said jokingly. The girls turned their heads to face the newcomer. "I'm also a year earlier than everyone else. So if Ruby is a "child", I guess I am too." Ruby looked at him confused for a second, but Weiss just got more annoyed. Then the snowflake of a girl sighed and turned her back towards the two others as she went onwards through the forest. Ruby, visibly mad, took out her scythe and cut down a tree next to them. Vermont ran to catch up with the two girls.

"So... none of you have any questions? Like about me being a year earlier." Vermont said having expected a bunch of questions like "How did you get in?", "Why did you get in", "Weren't you in combat school", but that wasn't what he got. But it did seem like Weiss had something to say.

"Yeah actually, I have a question." Weiss sounded more open-minded. Or maybe Vermont was just making things up.

"Ask on, Schnee." Vermont said as he gave her permission to continue.

"Okay, my question is... Why should I care?" Her voice became colder the closer she got to the end.

"C'mon now, no need to be rude about it. And why should you care? Well, maybe because I might be your future teammate?" Vermont was quite annoyed with the way Weiss was acting. Like a toddler. She properly ate from a silver platter.

"I hope not! You'd properly just way me down. I already have enough of that." Weiss was clearly talking about Ruby. But why would she say that? She had never even seen him fight before!

"Oh really, why is that?" Vermont said taunting her. He had a feeling of where this was going. And he did not like it. "Why!? Is it because of these!" Vermont twitched his fox ears, making sure that Weiss saw them clearly.

"And what if it is!?" Weiss was incredibly insulted by the Faunus's behaviour. She then turned her back and went onwards.

"Wait, Weiss... I'm sorry... I know you have had a bunch of bad experiences with the faunus. But I'm different. You just got to understand that it's very discriminating. And yes, I agree that some Faunus are bad. Like the white fang. But trust me. I know who is my enemy and who isn't." Weiss just stood completely still, her back still turned on him and Ruby.

"I do not fully forgive. But I will give you a chance to prove yourself. If you fail though. Then I shall fully despise you." Then she kept on walking. Not as fast as before though. Ruby looked over at Vermont.

"I appreciate you being here." She smiled at him. Then she skipped onwards, following her teammate. Vermont had made her feel better about it all. But he could still feel her anger towards Weiss. Ruby was weird, he thought. Her soul is incredibly strong. Yet her aura is just above average. He could sense the immense power radiating off of her. But where it went he didn't know. The group of three then heard a loud screech. It was a sound that could tear apart one's eardrums. They looked up towards the sound, and what they saw sent a shiver down Vermont's spine. A nevermore. The black bird, known as a bringer of doom, swooped down towards the students. It crashed into them, sending them flying. Ruby was able to latch onto it using her Crimson Rose. Weiss was just close enough to grab it. But Vermont was further away from it. He had to perform a grappling move with his weapon. This ended with him dangling off of the bird's huge talon.


	7. Chapter 6

RWBY: Kindred Spirits.

Chapter 6: The Pawn And The Pony.

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 **Hello there. I've decided to cross-post this story to Wattpad. I've only uploaded two chapters there though. The reason for this is that I think it's nice to be able to comment on the story. So check that out if you want. And another thing. As you may have noticed I haven't posted in a long time. There are two reasons for that. First of all, I wanted to take a little break through the holidays. Second of all, A lot has been going on in my personal life, stuff that I don't really want to share, and that has been taking my concentration and focus. Also, this chapter is very short. That is because I want the awesome fight scene to be separated from this chapter, while still giving it an awesome setup. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Onwards!**

 **Wattpad link that I forgot when i posted this:** **story/172729351-rwby-kindred-spirits**

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Deep inside the woods of the beautiful, but dangerous, Forest of Emerald, lie the ruins of a once great temple. Now it stood destroyed, to the point where one would not guess it to have been a massive structure of pure pride. But on the afternoon of the day of initiation, the professor had hidden a number of relics within. Suddenly two students could be seen approaching the relics. One was Blake, the other her partner Yang. They stood still for a moment, taking in the sight of the ruined tower. They knew that a greater piece of the temple could be found further away, but it was still a weird thought. The thought that what they saw, might be what the great academy of Beacon could look like. They both dismissed it though. No, such a great place would never fall to ruin. Yang decided to further their mission.

"Think this is it?" She asked her black-haired companion. Blake just looked back at her and continued onwards. It did not come off as rude, because no answer was needed. As they drew closer to the pedestals, they finally found out what the relics were.

"Chess pieces?" Blake asked. Obviously, the answer was yes, so Yang just told Blake what she had observed.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." She stated.

"Well, I guess we should pick one." Blake said. She didn't really care which one they chose. But somehow, the decision still felt very important. Yang was also a fine with whatever they took, but she sensed the opportunity to land some kind of joke.

"How about a cute little pony?" Yang asked as she grabbed the piece known as the knight.

"Sure." Blake said and rolled her eyes, and was that a little smile? The two girls reapproached each other to head back to Beacon Cliff.

"That wasn't so hard." Yang stated as she went over to Blake.

"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." Spoke the girl with the bow. Of course, they did not have too many problems on their way to the ruins, but some were not that lucky, or perhaps they lacked navigational skills. Before the two girls were able to go any farther, a sudden scream could be heard from a cave nearby.

"Some girl's in trouble! Blake did you hear that." Yang turned towards the sound, but she could not see who had screamed so loudly. "What should we do?" The girls were interrupted by another voice, this one belonging to Ruby.

"Heads up!" She called, as she fell from the sky like a comet. But the comet never hit the ground. Ruby was suddenly intercepted by someone hitting her midair. That, someone, was Jaune.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked the shocked girl next to her. Yang did not have time to react, because suddenly someone else also fell from the sky. But this one landed much smoother, performing a roll as to lower impact power of the fall. The newcomer got up and looked at the two girls. They both recognized the boy, but, well, that wasn't a difficult task. From his white fennec ears to the scar on the Faunus's lip, Vermont could easily be recognized.

"Sooo, care to explain?" Yang asked Vermont as he got up.

"I would love to, but there's a girl riding an Ursa over there." Vermont pointed in the direction he was looking. And indeed, there was a girl riding an Ursa. But suddenly the beast dropped dead. Behind the hammer-wielding girl came a very tired looking boy in a green coat. The girl rushed over to the relics and immediately made her choice. A rook. The girl then started chanting some song about how she was "queen of the castle". She didn't even seem to notice the others. The tired boy called out to the not so tired girl.

"Coming, Ren." She answered, and went to join him once more.

"Wow." Said Blake simply. Was she impressed? Or did she just feel bad for this Ren? But Vermont didn't have time to find out, as he was suddenly interrupted by a deathstalker charging into the clearing. It seemed to be following some girl with long red hair. But they were now interrupted, once more, by Ruby. This time by her landing right next to the others.

"Ruby?" Yang asked. Vermont turned to her and gave her a welcoming smile. Blake, on the other hand, was busy figuring out the giant, murderous, hatred-fueled scorpion situation.

"Yang!" Ruby said as she went to embrace her sister. But they never made contact.

"Nora!" Said the girl, whom Vermont could only guess to be Nora, as she suddenly appeared between the sisters.

"Wait, did she just run all the way here with a deathstalker on her tail?" Blake asked. Vermont was just about to answer her, but he was interrupted, this time not by someone new, but by Yang having enough.

"I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again!" Yang was bursting with flames and her eyes had gone red. And then people were calm for a bit. But only two seconds. Ruby poked her sister and pointed to the sky.

"Yang..." She said, not wanting to make her sister mad. Oh yeah. Vermont had completely forgotten about the giant death bird above them. How great. And it was still carrying Weiss. But it seemed that she had lost grip. Weiss was just barely holding to the talon of the bird.

"Ruby told her to jump." Vermont justified.

"She's gonna fall." Stated Blake as Weiss was losing grip again.

"She'll be fine." Ruby said, but Vermont did sense that she was indeed worried.

"She's falling..." Ren said.

Vermont then realized that he hadn't picked a relic. Well "picked" might be an incorrect statement as he didn't have much of a choice. Did he not pick the pawn, he would be thrown out of Beacon. So he turned his back to find nothing... Well, there was something, the other relics. But the pawn was nowhere to be found. Somewhere else perhaps. He would have to track it down. Vermont approached the centre of the ring of pedestals. His fennec fox ears twitched a bit as he suddenly heard a loud screech behind him. He turned to see the huge carnivorous bird in the sky firing down its feathers, and it succeeded to pin down Ruby by her cape. Vermont immediately rushed towards her, but he was too far away. Vermont didn't have time to stop the deathstalker that had closed in on her. Luckily Weiss did. She rushed towards the monster and summoned a wall of ice that encapsulated the beast's stinger. Vermont didn't stop though. He had to do something. Whatever it was he had to do something. He didn't fully know what was driving him to do this. Maybe it was protectiveness. No. Maybe foolishness. That wasn't it either. Justice! That was what made him act. At least that was what the faunus boy told himself. Using the grappling wires of his weapon and the feathers of the Nevermore, he flung himself through the air and landed on the bird's stomach, clinging onto it with his kamas. He unleashed the blade and jumped off of the monster. He used the force he had gained to swing himself onto the Nevermore's back, where he landed safely using a roll. Vermont ran up its neck and jumped off of its face. While airborne, he slashed down at the creature of dark's face, slicing two long lines across its marrow mask of evil. Vermont landed back at the ring of empty pedestals. Only to find that something was different. In the middle of the ring, he saw a pedestal like the others. On top of this one was the pawn that he was searching for. But unlike the others, the pawn was not just golden or black. It was both. The light of the sun bounced off of the golden side of the relic, the other side, separated at the middle of the pawn, was black like the night and covered in the shadows. Vermont didn't have time to think too much about it now, so he just grabbed it and moved on. By the time he got over to the others, they had already regrouped.

"Guys, that thing is circling back." Jaune said as he pointed to the sky. "What are we gonna do?"

"Look. There's no sense in dilly-dallying, our objective is right in front of us." Weiss was right. Vermont had taken his relic, but some of the others hadn't gotten around to do that.

"She's right. Our mission is to grab an artefact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things." Ruby looked around at her approving teammates. Fighting for no reason was a fool's errand.

"Run and live," Jaune said. "that is an idea I can get behind."Ruby went up to the pedestals to grab one of the relics that were left. She chose the knight, represented by a golden horse. Jaune gripped the rook, a strong tower. Maybe because it reminded him of what he aimed to become. Suddenly one could hear the ice that incapacitated their enemy start to shatter. If they wanted to run now was the time.

"Time we left." The calm minded Ren broke in.

"Right" Ruby spoke as she turned the face the others. "Let's go." She then started running back towards the cliff they came from. And soon almost everyone followed suit. Almost everyone as in everyone except Vermont, Blake and Yang. Vermont focused on the auras of the group. It was mesmerizing. All different colours of light shining like stars, filled with different and unique forms of determination. But one light shined brighter than all the others. And it seemed like Vermont wasn't the only one who was impressed by the source of the fascinating light, though she couldn't see it, she still noticed her sisters massive potential. At that moment, Yang Xiao Long was proud. Vermont perked up his ears as Blake went up to Yang.

"What is it?" She asked her partner. Yang kept looking proudly at Ruby for a moment. Then she proceeded to answer. "Nothing."


	8. Chapter 7

_**RWBY: Kindred Spirits**_

 _ **Chapter 7: Test Of Skill**_

* * *

 **Hello there. First of all, this is properly my favourite chapter yet, so hope you enjoy it too. Second I want to talk about Vermont. Specifically his backstory. Right now it just seems like another "Oh my parents died and my town was attacked by grimm" kinda deal. But I want to make it clear that it ain't that simple. I won't spoil how, but just trust me. There is way more to it than that. Now with that out of the way, onwards!**

* * *

Soon the group of young students, some younger than others, came to a new set of ruins. These ruins were quite a bit larger though. Before them stood a set of interconnecting towers, four long bridges allowed one to go from one tower to another. The most notable thing about the ruined towers was the fact that they were suspended over, what appeared to be, a bottomless canyon. The canyon ripped through the land and separated the students and their goal, Beacon Cliff. They would most likely have to cross it. Vermont and everyone else heard the noise of the large beast who was hunting them. It sped up. This caused the group to split-up in search for shelter. They found it in the form of the columns that had once held the roof of the ruins up. Each pair of partners had found their own pillar to hide behind, except for, of course, Vermont, who ended up behind a pillar of his own. What the plan with all of this was, he did not know. But perhaps there was no plan. All they knew was, that they would rather not fight and that their path led them across the ruins in front of them. There they stood for a little moment. The grimm bird landed on the tower that was closest to the students with such immense power, that the top floor of the building crumbled. The bird of prey screeched out over the Forest Of Emerald, almost as if telling the group that it knew that they were hiding.

"Goddammit." Vermont exclaimed. Perhaps they would have to fight the beast that stood before them. Well that was what Vermont had trained for. Without warning, the Deathstalker from before broke through the woods and went to attack. They had to do something, Vermont realized. He started running towards the bridge to the broken tower. His dark green coat flowing in the wind as he ran. His hair and ears blew back, revealing his golden eyes. He saw everyone else running the same way, but someone took an alternative route. Nora headed out in the middle of the roofless ruins. The Nevermore fired its humongous feathers down towards her, but Nora was a skilled fighter, and she dodged them swiftly. In one motion she landed and pulled out her weapon. Vermont didn't really know what it was before she fired grenade after grenade towards the beast. The weapon seemed fitting to her. One pink blast hit the bird in the face. The Nevermore turned around and flew further away not wanting to be hit again. Nore didn't have any time to breathe though, not before the Deathstalker tried to attack her. She wasn't ready to dodge the incoming strike, fortunately, she was not alone. Ren and Blake swiftly jumped in front of the scorpion, deflecting it's huge claws, while Weiss got Nore out of there using her glyphs. The group had now reached the bridge. They ran across it trying to get to safety, but the Nevermore had circled back. It struck down into the bridge, splitting it in twain, and sending a few students tumbling back.

The group had now become two. Vermont wasn't on the right side of the gap, so he had to cross it at some point. But for now, he would have to fight. He turned his head towards the Deathstalker that slowly approached. He saw Ren, Pyrrha and Blake putting up a fight, but it was not going too well. He heard the trigger of Nora's weapon, followed by the crumbling of a bridge, and was that... a girl screaming. No, it was just Jaune. He and Nora flew towards Vermont's side of the bridge. Running the new numbers, Vermont decided he would be of greater help against the Nevermore. He ran and jumped over the edge of the bridge, and as the air whistled past him, he fired the blade of the weapon at a piece of the ruins. The force of Vermont's fall and the motor of his kama swung him up into the air, and with a little midair flip, he landed safely on the other side of the gap. And it just so happened, that he had landed next to Ruby.

"Hello there" He said jokingly. He knew the situation was serious, but why not have a little fun, ay? Ruby gave him a little chuckle.

"I only do prequel memes at appropriate times, Vermont." She said, and even though she was being serious, Vermont swore he could see what looked like smile creeping up on her. Vermont heard a thud, as Blake landed next to Yang a few feet to his left.

"It's tougher than it looks." Blake stated.

"Then let's hit it with everything we got!" Yang said enthusiastically. Weiss started to prepare her glyphs for elemental attacks, Yang readied her gauntlets for ranged combat, and Ruby unfolded the huge scythe so she could use it as a sniper, but Vermont didn't do anything. He didn't have any ranged weapon after all. So he just observed the beast that steadily flew towards them as it was hit by a barrage consisting of flames, explosions and bullets. But the bird kept on flying. As it's huge shadow quickly crept closer, the Nevermore shifted it's course downwards. It was going to break the tower they stood upon. And it did. The monster ferociously crashed into the ancient rocks, and they shattered with a noise so loud it could be heard miles away. Luckily everyone was ready and able to react. Blake used a series of skilled jumps from falling rock to falling rock in order to land onto a nearby bridge, Weiss did so too with the help of her glyphs, Ruby and Yang both used the blasting power of their unique weapons to get to safety. Vermont knew not to fire out the blades of his weapons to swing himself up. That would not work. But he did have another plan. So he used his dual kamas in a way that resembled that of a mountain climbers axes, to launch himself from one rock to another, ending with him landing on the same bridge as Ruby and Weiss, rolling to reduce impact.

"None of this is working." Weiss said sounding a little annoyed. And she was right. If they were going to defeat this beast they had to make a plan of attack. Vermont looked to Ruby for a response. What he saw was her determined silver eyes looking around the ruins, observing her fellow students positions and capabilities. Her mind raised as she searched for a way to kill the beast. That moment when the sunlight of the blue sky shined down upon her face, Vermont knew that she would one day become a great huntress. Then she turned to him, eyes locking with his golden ones.

"I have a plan." She said to him. "But we're gonna need you to get up onto that bird. Yang will set up a window for you to get onto it, once you steer it towards the cliff, Me, Weiss, Blake and Yang will use Blake's weapon and Weiss's glyphs to get ready to slingshot me at it. Hopefully, I can then take it down in one attack." Vermont was quite in awe. That well made of a plan thought of in such a short amount of time.

"Awesome plan, Ruby." Vermont said as he gave a smile. "I'll try my best once I get up on that thing."

"At least it's worth a shot." Weiss said not giving up any of her attitude.

"I'll go tell Yang the plan, and get her to set up a window for me." Vermont said.

"Okay. Then I and Weiss will get Blake ready to make the slingshot." Ruby answered him. Then she raised her hand. At first, Vermont didn't know what to make of it. Her palm was lit by the sun behind it, and Vermont soon realized what she wanted of him. He gave a smile as he smacked the palm of his hand onto hers in a high-five. Vermont then turned towards the ruins of the tower again. Yang stood on top of the only still standing pillar. Vermont started running over to her, and as he neared the edge of the bridge, he lept of off it, throwing forward the blade of his right kama. It successfully hit a ledge just to the right of Yang. He started activating to motors and pulling himself towards the blonde, where he landed swiftly.

"Sup, Foxy?" Yang said after Vermont landed next to her. As he heard that nickname his ears twitched lightly. Even though it was a common nickname for a faunus of his kind, he couldn't help but associate it with his old family.

"I and Ruby came up with a plan. You have to hit a blast on that bird. One that will make it flinch. After that, get to Ruby, she'll fill you in. Now, what do you, Yang, got what it takes to get me an opening." Vermont got into position, ready to leap onto the flying beast. Yang gave him a smug smile.

"Of course I do, who do you think I am?" Yang loaded her weapon with a flick of the wrist and took aim. The Nevermore was circling around the tower, perfect for a couple of blasts. And a couple of blasts it got. Yang ferociously fired round after round at the monster. Then one hit it straight to the face, the crack that Vermont had made earlier seemed to open a bit more. Now was the time. Vermont lept off of the pedestal with all of his power. He grappled onto the beast and flew through the air towards it. The wind rushing by blew back Vermont's white hair and ears. He landed on the back of the Nevermore, just around the neck. Next move was to try and steer the bird toward the cliff, but he just stood there for a second. He could see Ruby and the others set up the slingshot. And back with Jaune, they had managed to kill the deathstalker. Vermont looked at the end of the bird's massive wings. He then shot his left kama out onto the edge of the birds left wing, and the right kama to the right wing. This could work, he thought. It was not an easy task. The beast tried to steer away from its imminent doom, but Vermont's will was strong, stronger then the beast he rode. As he got close to the cliff, the Nevermore tried to turn back. But Vermont wouldn't let that happen, so he retracted the left blade as much as he could, bending the wing of the beast, as it turned its back towards the cliff. Then there was the impact. The Nevermore smashed into the rocks of the cliff, sending sand flying out. Vermont had gotten off of it, but now he was about to fall down the canyon. He slung out both his blades, hitting the monster exactly where the crack had formed. Using the motors of his handles he pulled himself towards the soon to be dead bird. As he flew through the air he saw that the plan was working. Like a bloodsoaked bullet, Ruby flew towards the Nevermore with a speed greater than anything Vermont had ever seen before. Her scythe made contact with the neck of the huge beast, and she lost some of her speed. Luckily Weiss saw this, and she created a line of glyphs to help Ruby. The red-caped girl started running up the side of the cliff, pulling the Nevermore with her and by extension also Vermont. Soon they approached the edge of the cliff Ruby was running up, and she used her speed and momentum, to launch herself into the air, while her blade severed the head of the beast. As Vermont flew past the now lifeless head, he pulled out the blades, so he wouldn't fall with it. When Vermont landed, Ruby had already gone over to stand by the edge. Vermont took a moment to just look at her. Her relatively short black hair waving in the wind, her cape that fluttered in the wind, and the beautiful roses that had trailed her up the mountain. She was something special. Vermont could feel it. She had a determination that could only be described as heroic. Maybe there was a reason for the aura to bind them so soon. Vermont went up to stand next to her and look down on the others.

"They are proud of you, Ruby. And so am I." He said and put a hand on her shoulder. She wasn't smiling. Some other emotion dominated her face. It was one Vermont had never seen before. Her silver eyes told him that much.


	9. Chapter 8

**_RWBY: Kindred Spirits_**  
 ** _Chapter 8: The First Day Begins_**

* * *

 **Hello there. I haven't posted in a while. Don't really have an excuse though. I'm just lazy I guess. Welp. Let me tell you a bit about my plans. I have three "stages" planed out for Vermont's character. And I'll tell you a bit about what happens in each one.**

 **1\. Call to action**

 **This is the part we are currently in. Vermont will discover his semblance, and realize that the world needs him.**

 **2\. Blind eyes still see**

 **Vermont will learn about his family. He will doubt everything he ever had, and he will seek a purpose he can't find.**

 **3\. Clarity**

 **Vermont will overcome what plagues him the most. He will learn the truth of what he is, and he will prepare for war.**

 **4.** **01000100 01100001 01110010 01101011 01101110 01100101 01110011 01110011**

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"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, lead by Cardin Winchester." Ozpin announced. Clapping sounded across the auditorium of Beacon as Vermont started to wonder about his future. The teams were determined by what relics were retrieved by who. But Ozpin had specifically told Vermont to retrieve the pawn. How his team would be chosen, he did not know. Vermont guessed that Ozpin would tell him later. The next team approached the headmaster.  
"Jaune Ark, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR, lead by Jaune Ark." It sure was a surprise to see that Jaune would lead a team, but perhaps it would help him gain some confidence. Now the last team approached Ozpin.  
"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The Four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. The four of you will work together as Team RWBY, lead by..." Ozpin was dragging it out, maybe to increase the power of the surprise. "Ruby Rose." Everyone did seem surprised. Ruby was at a loss for words, Weiss seemed a little offended and Yang hugged Ruby proudly. A small smile could be seen creeping up on Vermont's face. To have Ruby lead a team was certainly a little controversial. How she would treat her new role, he didn't know. But somehow he knew it was a good thing. Team RWBY stepped off stage and Ozpin walked forward.  
"Now." He began. "This year there has been a couple of complications when it came to the formation of teams. One student was unexpectantly invited a year earlier then we had expected. Therefore he does not yet have a team or even a partner for that matter." Vermont waited in anticipation for what Ozpin had planned for him.  
"That student is Vermont Scale. Vermont, could you please get up here?" Now it was confirmed. "You shall have your own dorm. But, you will get a team. We have not yet decided on who though." What!? Ozpin didn't plan that. It seemed weird and out of character. But who would his teammates be then?  
"And so..." Ozpin continued. "Does anyone want this fine man as their bonus teammate?" Just like that? Really. Oh well. Luckily Vermont was not disappointed with who raised their hands. Ruby did, Jaune did, and... Blake did? Why? She had had a very toxic attitude towards him when they first met. How peculiar.  
"Well then. Since two members from team RWBY want to have you, and one member of team JNPR wants to have you, you shall belong to team RWBY. The name shall remain the same as it is already encoded into the systems. Congratulations young man." With a pat on his back, Ozpin sent Vermont down into the crowd once more. Team RWBY, huh? Great. Honestly, Vermont couldn't have hoped for anything better. But the fact that Blake raised her hand still confused him. But she did know about Vermont's parents, so maybe she wanted to find out more about him. Whatever. Vermont didn't really care. He was just happy to be placed on a skilled team. The next four years were sure to be interesting, he thought. And they would indeed be way more interesting then he could ever imagine.

After having been shown to his dorm by Goodwitch, Vermont had gone to bed quite early. He was tired. And who wouldn't be? Joining Beacon, going through initiation and getting a team. It all had happened so very fast. And his lack of proper sleep didn't help. He yawned as he slowly got himself out of the bed. After getting dressed in his uniform, he approached the window. He had a good view. He could see the morning sun heating up the courtyard of Beacon and the forest that lied beyond.  
"I wonder what you would've thought of this. You did always enjoy a good view." He didn't speak to anyone in particular. At least not anyone who could hear him. He then looked at his scroll. He immediately noticed that he had messed up. He was going to be late to class. He was supposed to be ready at nine, and it was already about five minutes to nine. He stormed out of his dorm and ran towards the classroom he was currently supposed to be in. What a cliche... Being late to class on the first day. He could soon hear that he was not, in fact, the only one being late. The rest of team RWBY and also team JNPR came running from another path that led to more dorms. Vermont gave them a little wave as he ran to join them.  
"Oh hi Vermont." Ruby said. "Now this will give our team a good reputation..."  
"For now just worry about getting there." The faunus boy responded as he sped up a little. The two teams ran across a section of the courtyard as they passed Ozpin and Goodwitch. Goodwitch was obviously annoyed by their late arrival, but Ozpin didn't seem to be very irritated. Perhaps he thought differently of the situation. Somehow the group was able to make it in time. The teams had sat down and the lecture was beginning. Then the teacher, Professor Port, stepped forward, trying to get the attention of the students. "Monsters! Deeemons... Prowlers of the night!" He spoke proudly. "Yes, the creatures of grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey!" He gave a burst of sudden laughter that awoke Ruby from her slumber. To his left Vermont heard the scribbling of Weiss taking notes, and past her, he could hear Ruby coming to her senses. Blake and Yang were positioned to the Faunus's right.  
"Uhh..." Port mumbled, surprised that his joke didn't land well with his younger audience. "And you shall too, upon graduating this prestigious academy." Vermont looked back at Ruby, he had never seen anyone look so bored before. And he couldn't blame her...  
"Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens, in an otherwise treacherous world." Port stated walking back and forth in front of the students. "Our planet is teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in... Hunters! Huntresses!" Port raised his eyebrow as he made a clicking noise at Yang. Visibly awkward, Yang just looked away and gave an awkward little laugh.  
"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves." Port continued his monologue. Vermont couldn't help but think that Port seemed a little unprofessional. "From what you ask... Why... The very world!" Port properly expected a different reaction than what he got. Everyone was just kind of silent... Well almost everyone. One student raised his hand, stood up from his seat, and gave a "Heyyy ya!"... He just sat down again afterwards.  
"That is what you are training to become. But first a story, a tale of a young, handsome man... Me. When I was a boy..." As Port continued his story Vermont got distracted. He saw Weiss turning towards Ruby. She must have been annoyed by the scribbling sounds of Ruby drawing instead of listening. "Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. Peter, he told me..." Ruby started giggling to herself. This annoyed Weiss, but Vermont was just happy to have something distracting him. Ruby then held up the paper she had been drawing on. It was a drawing of Professor Port. As she showed it to Vermont and Weiss she made a fart noise with her mouth... A fart noise. Now that's a sense of humour, Vermont thought to himself. It seemed like Yang had also noticed what was happening, and she was having a blast. But Port suddenly cleared his throat in order to quiet the sisters down.  
"In the end, the beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity! And I returned to my village, with the beast in captivity and my head held high. Celebrated, as a hero." The professor then bowed to end his boastful story. "The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honourable." Vermont looked over at Ruby. She was balancing her books and an apple on top of a pencil. "A true hunter must be dependable." She had fallen asleep again... "A true hunter must be strategic, well educated, and wise!" Okay, now she was picking her nose.  
"So who among you believe themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Weiss immediately shot up her hand.  
"I do, sir!" She said with a look of determination.  
"Well then, step forward." Port said as he pointed to a cage that stood next to him. Something was rattling inside of it. Vermont could feel its lack of aura, a trait he had come to know in the creatures of grimm.

Weiss had left the room. She was getting ready for her fight. Meanwhile professor Port was telling another story. Vermont was not listening though. Two questions currently plagued his mind. Why did Ozpin bring him to Beacon early? And why did Blake vote to have him on the team? One could potentially be answered pretty quickly. Vermont turned to face Yang and Blake on his right. They weren't listening either. In fact, Vermont couldn't spot one single student who was actually listening to the old man's tales.  
"Well, this sure is boring." Vermont stated to strike up a conversation. His intention was to start talking to Yang and slowly drag Blake into it, but as he would soon come to know, that plan was not going to go as he intended.  
"Yeah. But I guess it could be worse." Yang answered. "By the way, how are you doing?"  
"Wh-I mean sorry. What do you mean by that?" Vermont was anticipating a question like that.  
"I mean are you tired. Maybe a bit sore. You know, after initiation yesterday." Oh, that's what she meant.  
"No, actually, I'm feeling pretty good." Vermont answered genuinely.  
"Even after riding a Nevermore and being dragged up a wall? I gotta say that's pretty impressive." Yang looked behind Vermont and spotted the now, once again, sleeping Ruby, and shrugged.  
"It was nothing really. We couldn't have done it without us all there." Vermont really did believe what he was saying.  
"Yeah, I guess so... By the way, thanks, man." Yang smiled at Ruby.  
"For what?"  
"When Ruby got stuck I saw how you reacted. Of course, I know that Weiss was the one who saved her, but I saw how you charged at that bird. I like people who take action. And I like people that want to save my sister. Can't have too many friends these days." Yang had gotten super serious all of a sudden. Vermont felt his faunus ears drop down in some expression. He had gotten completely sidetracked. His plan about bringing in Blake wasn't working.  
"No problem, Yang. By the way, not that I'm mad, but why didn't you raise my your hand to get me on the team?" Vermont asked her.  
"It's simple really. I would have enjoyed some proper competition." Yang gave a shrug and a smug grin. "But I do like having you on the team."  
"Well, I'm happy to be on it. And I guess I have you and Ruby to thank, Blake." Success. She looked up at her teammates. "But why did you want me to join." Blake looked at him with her amber eyes. Then she looked away again.  
"Keep your friends close, and enemies closer. Which one you are, only time will tell..."

"Yikes! Someone might want to try a trust exercise..." Yang joked, but Vermont could see it was annoying Blake a little. She must really have some reason to hate him. Suddenly one could hear the door open as Weiss returned, armed and ready to fight.


	10. Chapter 9 (Fixed)

_**RWBY: Kindred Spirits**_

 _ **Chapter 9: A Much Needed Talk**_

* * *

 **So something about how I posted this chapter before didn't function correctly. I think it has to do with the fact that I'm using multiple editors to make the story look well, and sound well. A feature, for some reason, disappeared from Fanfiction's editor, and I had to use it in another editor. Turns out, Fanfiction didn't like that very much. It seems to have been a formatting problem. Thanks to user "Lone10" for pointing this out to me. I'm sorry that it has taken this long for me to change it** **. I promise the next chapter will arrive soon, I just realized that Vermont could end up very shallow or uninteresting, so I took some time off to gather inspiration in relation to his past, his relation to Blake and specifics about how Qrow helped him. It should be understood that Qrow wasn't with Vermont 24/7. He only visited him a couple of times a month in order to see how he was doing. The reason Qrow never told Ruby and Yang about Vermont will play a bigger role later. Now what I mention in the last upload of this chapter was that I had discovered that I might be dealing with a form of "mental disorder". Don't worry, I've got it under control. It's just that I will have periods where I properly won't upload that much, and as you might have noticed, I have been in such a period for a time now. My love for writing and developing these chapters will always be stronger than anything I'm dealing with right now.**

 **TL;DR: I'm sorry.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The fight was about to start. Weiss readied her weapon, and the beast growled from within its cage. Vermont sensed something in Weiss's aura. Confidence. Maybe too much. Or just enough. The team was cheering her on.

"Gooo Weiss!" Exclaimed Yang as she fist-bumped the air. Blake had somehow managed to get a small flag that said RWBY on it and waved it back and forth proudly.

"Fight well." She said. Vermont then decided to chip in.

"Don't fuck it up!" It wasn't exactly very positive but it was what he had.

"Language." He could hear Weiss respond. Ruby had gotten all excited about the fight too. Well, of course. It was Ruby after all.

"Yeah! Represent team RWBY!" She called out. Apparently, the cheering wasn't exactly Weiss's cup of tea, as she sounded quite pissed when she turned to face Ruby.

"Ruby! I'm trying to focus." Said the heiress, the venomous tone of her voice quieting down her younger teammate. Vermont felt like she targeted Ruby there. She could just as well had been talking to anyone of them.

"Oh, sorry..." Ruby excused with an awkward smile.

"All right." Said Professor Port as he pulled out an axe. "Let the match... begin!" He then chopped down the lock of the cage. As soon as the door fell to the floor, the grimm, a boarbatusk, charged forward to attack Weiss. She nimbly dodged the creature of hate and swung at its side. Her blade connected with the bone armour of the boar, but it didn't take any damage. The creature drifted and faced Weiss once more, as she entered a combat-ready stance.

"haha!" The professor started. "Wasn't expecting that, were you?" She probably wasn't. Vermont on the other hand was. His aura connection allowed him to sense that it was a grimm, but his faunus ears made the connection to boarbatusks when they heard the sound. He truly was born with a strong natural perception. The beast charged forward, as did Weiss. She lunged at it, trying to stab it in its face. But the boarbatusk countered. It used its humongous tusks, as the name of the beast would suggest, to grab Weiss rapier. She struggled to get her weapon back. But her focus was lost.

"Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered gaining the unwanted attention of her teammate. And as soon as Weiss lost focus, the monster threw her weapon to the other side of the arena. It then grunted and attacked Weiss with its tusks sending her to the ground.

"Ho ho... Now, what will you do without your weapon?" Asked the professor, in a very casual way, considering his student just lost her weapon, but Vermont picked up a small fragment of worry from his aura. He was ready to step in if needed. The monster charged at Weiss, but she managed to get to her feet and dodge. Impressive speed. The monster collided with one of the desks and sent a bit of splinter out around it, the force flipped the monster onto its back. This meant that Weiss had a window to make a run for her weapon. And with a slide to finish of her run, she grabbed the rapier and got ready to fight once more.

"Weiss! Go its belly." Ruby started again. "There's no armour undernea-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss interrupted, this time she sounded mad. Maybe the intensity of her fight got to her head. The monster roared. It then curled up into a ball, preparing an almighty charge. But Weiss didn't do anything. The monster let loose and fired towards her. She started waving her hands around a specific pattern. At this point, Vermont was invested. leaning over his desk to get a little closer to the action. His long ears perked up and towards the fight signalling his investment. Suddenly a huge round symbol appeared in front of her. Vermont didn't feel her aura being affected, meaning that this was definetly her semblance. It reminded him of his lack of one. The beast his the symbol and fell backwards and landed on its back. Weiss nimbly backflipped, her feet colliding with another symbol of hers. This one turned black and seemed to be holding her in mid-air. She then shot forward and her rapier pierced the beast's chest, the force dragging them a few feet forwards, and piercing the boarbatusk's heart. Weiss kept kneeling on the floor for a moment. She was exhausted.

"Bravo! Braa-vo!" Cheered professor port. "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training." The professor then said some closing remarks and dismissed the class. Vermont was focused on something different - the aural source of guilt one seat away from him. Ruby felt awful. She was just trying to live up the pressure of being a leader, but Weiss was struggling with the jealousy of her not being appointed leader. It wasn't, per se, a good combination. Weiss walked towards the door with heavy steps and a frown on her face.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" Jaune said from behind Vermont. All members of team RWBY, expect, well, Weiss, had different reactions. Ruby looked towards the door, still feeling extremely bad. Yang had a wondering expression her face, Blake looked towards her teammates, her face painted with worry.

"I'll talk to her," Vermont said. Blake was surprised.

"Umm... You sure about that?" She was trying to make him reconsider. "You know she isn't a big fan of you and your... heritage, right?" Vermont wiggled the long ears on his head proudly.

"These? I know. That's why I must talk to her. To prove her wrong, and show her that we aren't all bad." Vermont smiled at blake. Her amber eyes widened slightly. Vermont noticed this and started sensing her aura more closely. The pure feeling of her purple energy radiated in his mind and soul. He poked at it. Not physically of course. She was a bit surprised. Maybe doubtful. But most importantly, impressed and intrigued. A weird reaction for a human. But that could describe all of her aura. Weird for a human. Perhaps, had he dug deeper into her soul, he would have seen. He didn't though. She might have noticed if he did.

"You should go then. Find her and talk to her. We have the rest of the day off. Me, Yang and maybe Ruby are headed back to our dorm. If you need something, just come by." She told him. She was a lot friendlier towards him, compared to their first interaction. Vermont looked towards where Ruby had been sitting, but she had already gone after Weiss.

"Ozpin made a mistake." Her voice was cold. Vermont didn't hear the whole conversation, but at this point, he didn't need to. He turned a corner, and to his surprise, he found Ruby and the headmaster. Weiss had walked off.

"Now that didn't seem to go very well," Ozpin said in order to make his presence known.

"It's okay Ruby. I'll go talk to her." Vermont said as approached the pair. He walked up beside Ruby and looked up at the headmaster.

"Is she right?" Ruby asked, almost with tears in her eyes. "Did you make a mistake?" She looked towards the headmaster for an answer.

"That remains to be seen." He said with a slight smile. "As for you Mr Scale, I'd like for you to go talk with Ms Schnee."

"Of course." Vermont walked off the direction Weiss had gone, his emerald coloured coat waving as he turned down a corridor.

"What do you think of him?" Ozpin asked Ruby as he looked towards Vermont's last visible position.

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

"He has a certain presence to him, doesn't he? He will be a great huntsman one day. Have you noticed anything about him, Ms Rose?"

"Well, he's a faunus for starters. He's very kind. He is pretty good at knowing how people feel."

"Indeed. Anything about... his appearance."

"His eyes are... Wait why are you asking me this?" Ruby looked back up at the headmaster.

"No particular reason, Ms Rose, no particular reason."

She stood on a balcony. Her white hair waved in the wind. And Vermont approached her. She knew he was there, but she didn't want to talk to him. He sat down a bench near her. The sun was setting over the forest. After just being there for five minutes, Weiss was getting annoyed at him. If he was going to talk with her, then why didn't he talk!

"Are you going to say something?" She asked bitterly.

"Not really no." Vermont kept his eyes on the horizon. "I'm not here to talk. I'm here to listen."

"You're probably just going to tell me I don't deserve to be the leader."

"You got it all wrong Weiss." Vermont looked up at her. "You do deserve to be the leader, more than any other student."

"Then why am I not?!" She crossed her arms.

"Because you deserve to." He stated to her disbelief.

"That doesn't even remotely make any sen-" She was cut off

"Ozpin doesn't need someone who is a good leader. He needs someone who can become a good leader. Look, Weiss, right now, you aren't needed as a leader. You are needed as a teammate." Her aura was stirring with mistrust.

"And why should I trust some like you." She said coldly.

"Because right now, You shouldn't see me as a stranger. I know I'm a faunus, but more importantly, I'm your teammate, your friend. You should be a teammate too. The best teammate you can be." Vermont made eye contact with her. "Ruby needs you, Weiss. She needs support to boost her confidence as a leader. If you aren't going to support your own leader, then what kind of teammate would you be." Weiss just looked at him in deadpanned surprise.

"I-I guess you're right..." She looked towards the ground.

"Damn it!" Vermont stood up from the bench. "I said was only going to listen, and instead I almost had a monologue! Typical me..." Vermont turned around and went inside again. Weiss needed a short moment to think.

Ruby had been studying all night, but despite her best effort, and a whole lot of sugar, she had fallen asleep. But she felt a tap on her shoulder. She suddenly awoke to find Weiss waking her up. She tossed her pencil across the bed and spontaneously tried to get up

"Weiss! I-I was studying and then I fell asleep, I'm sorry." She had calmed herself down a bit more towards the end of the sentence. Weiss suddenly put a hand over Ruby's mouth and gestured to be quiet, for fear of Ruby waking the others up. She was right. If Yang's loud snoring wasn't a giveaway, her team, except Vermont, was sleeping in the room. Weiss looked to her right and saw that Ruby had been drinking coffee.

"How do you take your coffee?" She asked.

"Uh, I-I don-"

"Answer the question."

"Uhh! Cream and five sugars!" She blurted out after being interrupted. Weiss sighed. She could've guessed it was something like that...

"Don't move" Weiss ordered. She then disappeared under Ruby's top bunk and left Ruby to wonder. Weiss was being friendly. The heiress soon reappeared, holding a mug filled with coffee.

"Here." She stated.

"Uhm. Thanks, Weiss." Ruby said as she gave her teammate a genuine smile.

"Ruby. I think you have what it takes to be a great leader." Weiss suddenly said, apologizing. "Just know, that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have." Ruby smiled at her friend, happy to see her come around.

"Good luck studying," Weiss said as she went back to her bed, only to reemerge and say: "That's wrong by the way." She pointed at one of Ruby's notes. Then she disappeared, for good this time, but before she left she said one last thing - "Hey, Ruby. I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." Weiss closed the door and left Ruby to her own devices. Ruby felt proud. Her teammate was coming around. Maybe not to like her, but at least enough to support her. She would have to thank Vermont for speaking to her at some point.

That night Vermont kept thinking. He had been brought to beacon a year too early and very suddenly. Something had happened. And he was needed. But why? Why would a man like Ozpin need him so suddenly? And also, why did Qrow, not just save his life and bring him to Vale, but also train him and set him up with an education. What was so special about him? And why did he feel like he was being used?


	11. Chapter 10

**RWBY: Kindred Spirits**

 **Chapter 10: Legend**

* * *

 _ **Hey there, hope you're doing fine. This chapter is one that I've been thinking about a lot lately. Some things that happen here might be a bit too early, but I feel that the story would grow stale otherwise. Up until now, the story has mostly just followed the scenes of RWBY the series, and it will properly continue to do so. The reason for this is that I don't want to change the characters all that much because Ruby is still the main character, but so is Vermont in a sense. Vermont right now might seem kind of boring, but I promise you that he will undergo quite the development. Currently, he only has two problems; what does Blake know about him, and what does Ozpin want with him. These simple questions will carve at his space in the world of remnant, and I'm excited to go on this journey. This is also chapter 10, our first milestone. Not a big one, but we have many more to come! Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter of the story.  
**_

* * *

The elevator was silent. Vermont stared at the door, waiting for it to open upon his arrival at the last floor. He had been called for. Personally asked to see Ozpin by Professor Port. The rest of his team were in combat class, properly watching some students fight each other. As awaited, the elevator came to a stop. The two metal slaps split apart and revealed a magnificent office. The floor was so polished that it vaguely mirrored the room itself, and on the ceiling were cogs, spinning, turning and moving in a fantastic display of clockwork. In the other end of the office was a desk. And on the chair behind it sat Ozpin himself. He had a cup of coffee in hand, and his cane at his side.

"Come closer, Mr Scale." Vermont obliged and walked up to the headmaster. "Tell me Vermont, do you believe in fairytales?"

"I don't know. I think they are half-truths. Legends morphed by men and retold to children."

"Very well. Then let me tell you a story or at least the beginning of one." Ozpin sipped his coffee before gesturing to the chair in front of Vermont. Vermont sat down and looked back at the man in both confusion and curiosity.

"Listen well Vermont. There once was a man that many looked up to. He had a wife, a home and many riches, for he was an important man. He fought to bring unity to the world.  
But he was not a kind man. He would use violence and force to achieve peace. His wife observed this and feared. Not for her own life, but for the child which she carried. On the day of the birth, she fled. She hid the newborn child in the hands of her enemies, and yet also her friends.  
When the man found out about this, he tracked down his wife. They met at the top of a waterfall in the middle of the night. When the man saw his wife he had but one question.  
"Why would you forsake the one you love, take away his prince, his pride, and leave him hollow? Why when our cause calls for us, would you turn your back on all you are?" And she answered him. "Our cause was lost long ago, I've taken away all I have to lose. I have saved an innocent child from the horrors of the world. I am stronger than you. Fore you fight against the agony of eternal sleep, by bringing it onto others. You are no more man then the beast you slaughter. If you are to wield death, then you are to accept it. That is what I have done this day. Now I shall have peace, for I am no longer needed." Then the man's wife threw herself down the waterfall, where she drowned in the deepest and most silent depths. She did not scream, nor did she squirm, for she knew that her soul was not lost. Death was her end, but not the end of her impact." Ozpin stood up from his chair and turned around to face the wall of windows behind him. Vermont stared at the desk in front of him, lost in his own mind.

"Why did you tell me that story?" He asked.

"Soon you will know. For now, just remember it. Our time here on remnant is not endless, neither is our impact. But I'd say that that is the reason why we are beautiful. Have you ever looked at a flower and questioned its beauty, Vermont. Because if you haven't, you really should do it." The headmaster was apparently the philosophical type.

"I don't think, I understand sir," Vermont stated.

"You are not yet supposed to. By the way, keep this conversation between us." Ozpin said as he turned back to face the faunus in his office.

"Why?" Vermont questioned.

"Because you were taken away from class to hear a fairytale. Just tell the other students that there were some problems with your integration into Team RWBY that we had to take care of."

"Oh. I will sir."

"You are dismissed."

"So... there we were..." Nore was telling some overly dramatic story while everyone was gathered in the cantine of the academy. Team JNPR on one side of the table, and Team RWBY on the other. Vermont was sitting on the end of the table, next to Ruby, and in front of Ruby sat Jaune.  
Jaune was the cause of a noticeable negative stream of aura in the room, another was the bunny faunus that felt lonely. She was silently waiting at a table alone.  
Vermont wasn't very invested in the tale Nora was telling, for he was pondering the things Ozpin had said. Why did he tell him a fairytale about death, and why did he talk about the beauty of flowers. Deciding to let the pondering stop, Vermont looked to his left towards his friends and teammates.

"Jaune," Pyrrha moved to face him more, catching the attention of everyone else. "Are you okay?" Jaune was staring at his food, and poking at it with his fork.

"Huh?" He put down the fork and returned to reality. "Oh, yeah, of course." He answered weakly. It was obvious to all, even without his aural connection, Vermont could tell that Jaune was not fully okay.

"It's just that you seem a little... not okay," Ruby said to him with a small frown on her face. She was worried.

"Eh, guys I'm fine... Seriously look!" Jaune then put on a fake smile and a half-assed thumps up. He wasn't fine.

"You know I can sense everyone's emotions using aura right?" Vermont said to him, forgetting that he never even told Team JNPR that he had said ability, how do you even forget something as important as that? He had informed his Teammates one day when they were talking about semblances. Vermont told them of his lack of a semblance, but also of his aural connection. But since Team JNPR didn't know that they were quite a bit shocked.

"No..." Jaune answered. "Was I supposed to know?" Vermont didn't respond. A change had happened in the stream of aura that belonged to the bunny faunus nearby. She was even sadder now, also embarrassed. When he turned to look, he spotted Cardin and his team of douchebags mocking her for her faunus traits. Vermont was filled with rage. Racism against the faunus truly did occur everywhere. He himself had also experienced some insults himself, but it was never as bad as his old combat school.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school." Pyrrha was still focused on the whole situation with Jaune, but Vermont kept staring in anger at Cardin's discrimination.

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah... He just likes to mess around, you know? Practical jokes." Jaune was not a very good liar.

"He's a bully," Ruby stated coldly.

"Oh please. Name one time he's "bullied" me." Jaune was still trying to keep the facade up, but Vermont just grew more hateful towards Cardin, watching as he mocked an innocent faunus girl. The whole gang started listing times that Cardin had bullied Jaune. Stuff like "How about that time when you just straight up stole your lunch?" or "How about when he activated your shield in order to get you stuck in the doorframe?" and many other examples. There was also the time when Cardin launched Jaune away in one of the rocket-powered lockers, to which his only response was:

"I didn't land far from the school." Delivered with a shrug and a fake smile.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask," Pyrrha reassured him. Nora then shot up from her seat, sensing an opportunity to inflict horrible, horrible pain on someone who deserved it.

"Ohh!" She yelped. "We'll break his legs!" Her voice was sinister and dark. But then Jaune stood up. His aura did something interesting at that moment. Something only Vermont noticed. There was a hint of doubt. He then spoke.

"Guys really it's fine." His voice was uncertain. "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone." Vermont's fennec ears shot up. He sensed a spike of pain, sorrow and embarrassment in the aura streams, and he heard the voice of the source.

"Oww! That hurts!" It was the bunny faunus. Cardin had crossed the line. When she was getting ready to leave the table, he had started pulling on her rabbit ears. An idiotic act of selfish racism. Vermont clenched his fist, ready to step in and stand up for the faunus.

"Please stop." She pleaded in an accent.

"I told you it was real." Cardin mocked. Anger boiled in Vermont's heart, and he let out a slow growl. But then he felt a hand. A soft warm of comfort, yet also one that pleaded. It was Ruby. She had put her hand on his shoulder. Then she spoke, but hushed so only he would hear it: "Not now. You don't want to start a scene or even a fight right now. But if you go after her when we are done, I totally get you." He calmed down. He had never been one to act on his anger. Maybe because the hatred and mocking were usually directed towards himself and not others. But when it was someone else getting picked on, someone who can't defend themselves, Vermont got mad.  
Ruby took her hand off his shoulder and returned to the conversation at hand. But they weren't talking about Jaune anymore. Cardin had caught everyone's attention.

"Atrocious, I can't stand people like him," Pyrrha said with a look of disgust.

"He's not the only one," Blake said, and Vermont could swear that she peeked over at him, but wasn't it obvious why?

"It must be hard to be a faunus." Yang sighed. "But what about you Vermont. How are you doing? It must feel a bit lonely right?"

"Maybe. But loneliness is not the problem. The problem is that we need a voice. The white fang was supposed to be that voice. But they failed. I just wish there was something I could do, you know." Vermont was overcome with some feeling he didn't quite understand. A mixture of pain, loneliness, sadness, and maybe... a bit of determination.

"Maybe there is something you can do," Ruby said in a comforting tone. "Maybe you just need to find out what. I mean, I'm not a faunus history expert, but there must be something you can do. Even if it's just a little something."

"Thank you, Ruby. Maybe you are right. Even just a little something." He gently smiled, content with the support he had gotten. Blake had responded strangely to the conversation. Her aura felt weird. Sad, but serene, and maybe a bit secretive. Vermont was getting a weird feeling of familiarity from her. Maybe he had actually met her before. That would make sense of the way she had reacted to him. She knew her name, yet she didn't seem to know him by face.  
Anyways, Vermont wanted to go check on that faunus girl. Jaune got up to leave, so Vermont decided that it would be smart to do the same. As he stood up he looked over at Cardin, his smug face alone made Vermont want to punch him. But he just turned and left towards the exit. The exit that the bunny faunus had gone through.


End file.
